HUBBALLI: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday met Congress leader Jagadish Shettar at the latter’s residence here for the first time after the Assembly election results were announced. Shettar had switched over to the Congress after the BJP denied him a ticket from Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency and lost to BJP’s Mahesh Tenginakai.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Shettar said, “It was just an informal meeting, nothing significant was discussed. The party has not yet discussed about me contesting next year’s Lok Sabha election. I did not even ask about that matter”.
Shettar further said, ”I have hope that the Congress is with me, and the Deputy CM has assured me of support. I have not put forth any demands before them. There is still one more year to go for the Lok Sabha polls”.
“We discussed more about organising and strengthening the party after holding a meeting again. We had discussed the preparation for the upcoming taluk and zilla panchayat elections. I have given some suggestions on how to set targets to win the polls”, Shettar added.
During the meeting, Shivakumar is learnt to have told Shettar that the Congress had benefited after the latter joined the party. Shivakumar also assured that he would make use of Shettar’s influence among voters and promised that he would be given a good position in the party after a meeting with Congress leaders.
Speaking to the media, D K Shivakumar expressed happiness over organising the party in North Karnataka. “We discussed the upcoming elections. We had amiable discussions on strengthening the party in more ways”, he said.